1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to swimming pool cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-orifice algae cleaning tip which attaches to the free end of a swimming pool whip hose and directs powerful jets of water generally perpendicular to the pool surfaces to remove algae.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices are known for removing sediment and suspended particulate matter from swimmming pools. Manually operated vacuuming devices require considerable manual labor. Other known pool cleaning devices utilize one or more flexible "whip hoses" through which water is discharged into the pool under pressure. The "whip hoses" whip back and forth along the bottom of the pool in a sinuous whipping action to agitate the water and keep the particulate matter in suspension so that it can be removed by the filtration system. Most common whip hoses have an orifice tip or nozzle installed in their free end which discharges a single high velocity jet of water forwardly from the free end of the whip hose in the direction of the hose axis such that the reactant force causes the whipping action.
Various attachments for pool whip hoses have been developed to enhance the whipping action and to prevent abrading of the hose due to its constant contact and travel over the pool surface, such as plastic wear-resistant rings or rollers which are spaced along the length of the whip hose to prevent hose contact with the pool surface. Tubular brush attachments, or "scrubbers" formed of foam material are also known that may be placed along the length of the whip hose between the wear rings and at the free and of the hose to brush the pool surfaces and dislodge algae.
Mazon, III, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,949 discloses an agitating whip hose assembly having a nozzle installed in the free end of the hose which discharges a single high velocity jet of water forwardly from the free end of the hose in the direction of the hose axis such that the reactant force causes a whipping action, a cylindrical rotatable wear ring which is installed coaxially on the nozzle, and a pair of rotatable wear rings spaced along the length of the whip hose to prevent hose and nozzle contact with the pool surface.
Pasini, U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,995 discloses a water supply hose having its free end supported by a first float with another length of hose smaller in diameter extending from the first float that has a second float attached to its free end. One or more jet couplings are installed along the length of the larger diameter supply hose and another jet coupling is at the back of the second float. Each jet coupling has a single port that ejects water rearwardly to maintain that part of the hose which is upstream from the jet in tension.
Kane, U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,893 discloses an agitating whip hose assembly including a specially shaped cleaning head which is attached to the free end of the hose and ejects water rearwardly through a plurality of ports to drive the hose forward and a plurality of jet couplings which are installed along the length of the hose, each of which has a single port that ejects water rearwardly to produce a lateral thrust against the side of the hose. The rearwardly directed jets propel the cleaning head forward dragging the hose with it and the water discharging simultaneously from the single ports of the plurality of jet couplings enhances the whipping action by producing a random trajectory of the hose to agitate the water and settled debris.
Staples, U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,377 discloses an agitating whip hose assembly having a nozzle installed in the free end of the hose which discharges a single high velocity jet of water forwardly from the free end of the hose in the direction of the hose axis such that the reactant force causes a whipping action, a plurality of wear rings spaced along the length of the whip hose to prevent hose contact with the pool surface, and one or more tubular brush attachments formed of foam material that are installed along the length of the whip hose between the wear rings and/or at the free end of the hose to brush the pool surfaces and dislodge algae.
Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,063 discloses a pool cleaning apparatus with a floating unit and a non-buoyant cleaning unit connected by an underwater hose having a plurality of jet couplings installed along the length of the underwater hose, each of which has one or two angled ports that eject water rearwardly to displace the connectors in the water such that the non-buoyant cleaning unit moves through the water and the underwater hose pushes the floating unit around.
The prior art and conventional single orifice whip hose nozzles are designed primarily to propel the whip hose and cause a whipping action merely to stir up or agitate the water to keep the particulate matter in suspension so that the suspended particulate matter can be removed by the filtering system, rather than actually directing cleaning jets onto the pool surface to dislodge algae and debris which has already grown or adhered to the surface.
Prior art whip hoses that have tubular brush attachments installed along their length to brush the pool surfaces and dislodge algae are ineffective because they also have a single orifice and there is no provision for counteracting jets to maintain the brush elements in contact with the pool surface, thus the brushes merely skim quickly over the surface as the hose whips from side to side in a sinuous whipping action.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a hollow cylindrical multi-orifice cleaning tip installed in the free end of a whip hose assembly which dislodges algae and particulate matter adhered pool surfaces and causes the hose to move along the bottom surface of a water filled pool in a sinuous whipping action to agitate the water and keep suspended particulate matter in suspension. The cleaning tip has a cylindrical side wall defining a central chamber, a tubular water inlet extending from a bottom end secured in the hose free end, a central orifice extending through a top end, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced orifices extending through the side wall. The central orifice discharges a pressurized jet stream of water axially from the cleaning tip in the direction of water flowing through the hose to create a reactant force causing the hose to move along the bottom surface of the pool in a sinuous whipping action to agitate the water and keep suspended particulate matter in suspension. The plurality of circumferentially spaced orifices discharge a plurality of pressurized jet streams of water radially outward from the cleaning tip with respect to the direction of water flow, and at least one of the radially outward discharged jet streams is directed onto the pool surface in a pool cleaning position to dislodge algae and debris adhered thereto and the remaining radially discharged jets create a reactant force to urge the one jet into the pool cleaning position.